A dual SIM mobile phone is a wireless communication device (also referred to herein as a device or a phone) that is adapted to comprise two SIM cards. More generally, such mobile phones may be referred to as multi-SIM devices, which also includes wireless communication devices adapted to comprise more than two SIM cards, e.g. triple SIM mobile phones.
The dual SIM scenario will be used herein for illustrative purposes. It should be noted that this does not exclude applicability to other multi-SIM scenarios.
Dual SIM devices may be beneficial for several reasons, for example, for a user that has a private SIM and a SIM provided by an employer of the user but only wants to carry a single phone, for a user that often travels between two or more different countries and wants to use different operators in the different countries to achieve cheapest rate or best service, and for a user that lives in an area where one single operator cannot provide acceptable service.
There are several different types of dual SIM phones that are more or less advanced. The most basic dual SIM phone is dual SIM single standby (DSSS) can only be registered in relation to one network (corresponding to one SIM). A slightly more advanced dual SIM phone is dual SIM dual standby (DSDS) which can be registered—and idle—in relation to two networks (corresponding to two SIMs) simultaneously, but is only able to be connected to one network at a time (during which time it is not able to be idle or connected in relation to the other network). An even more advanced dual SIM phone is dual SIM dual call (DSDC) or dual SIM dual active (DSDA), which can be connected to two networks (corresponding to two SIMs) simultaneously.
Typically, the selection of which SIM to use for a device initiated connection (e.g. an outgoing call) is implemented by letting the user of the device manually select which SIM to use. A problem with this approach is that it may be difficult for the user to make an optimal, preferable, or even acceptable selection in terms of various parameters and for each application using a device initiated connection.
For example, which SIM is most beneficial to use may depend on the time of the day, the day of the week, location of the device, etc. A few illustrative example scenarios of the complexity involved in SIM selection include:                Some applications (e.g. the private social networking applications) should always use a private SIM, some applications should always use the SIM corresponding to the network that currently has the best packet switched connection, while other applications (e.g. telephony) should use an employer SIM during work hours and work days and a private SIM otherwise. The selection between employer and private SIM may, alternatively or additionally, be dependent on the receiver (private or work related contact) of the outgoing connection.        For web applications (which are typically executed within a web browser of the device) it is not enough that the SIM selection differentiates between e.g. “a browser application”, “a telephony application”, “an email application”, etc. but differentiation between different web applications for SIM selection may be needed.        One SIM may be beneficial in terms of power efficiency, throughput, coverage, bandwidth, price plan, and/or service in relation to a certain location, city, country, radio access technology, receiver of connection, etc.        
US 2012/0309344 A1 discloses two or more SIM cards being installed in a single mobile device and automated selection of a user account by analyzing a plurality of user accounts on the mobile device and selecting a user account based on the analysis. A determination of which user account to use can be based on an analysis of a plurality of parameters, which might include the type of user account (e.g. work or personal), billing rate, battery level, bandwidth, data rate, efficiency of application execution, available technology, and/or other contextual information.
A problem with this approach is that it may result in a sub-optimal selection when values are not available for all relevant parameters.
Therefore, there is a need for improved approaches to SIM selection in relation to a wireless communication device connectable to two or more SIMs.